The Ongoing Adventures of Little Joe Washington, Houston Blues Legend - Episode 4

by Sonny James

Well, my time at Silky's ran out after a good run. Eric Dane an Jimmy DunDun ,a along with Leessa Leessa on drums took over the Silky's Blues Jam on thursday nite. I meet a cool little chick name Heather, (who became my wife) an we moved to Denver Colorado. It was in 2000 before i saw Little Joe Washington again. I started working for the hip show on access tv in Denver called Usedtobetv. Denver community access is a really diverse station with some really crazy shows. I wanted to bring some Texas music to their world an let them see for themselves what Texas had going on. In May of 2000 , i went to Houston to video some of the Great music. I saw Sonny Boy Terry's band at Cosmos's with the monster guitar player, Adam Burchfield, an Houston legend "Sparetime Murray" on bass. Later, i caught Albert Sturro , who was burnig it up downtown. I then went to a local favorite, the Big Easy, where Rick Lee an the Niteowls had their Mojo workin , with Tom Mcclendon blowing some serious killer harp. The place was packed an the people were breaking a sweat. It was a great nite for Houston Texas downhome blues. The Big Easy has always been a great place to walk in to a friendly crowd, an crawl out to your ride after a Great time. Then , the thing i had hope for happened.

Like a Hurricane, bigger that Katrina, Little Joe Washington showed up. I had always wanted to get some video of this "Wild Man" , an now was my lucky day/or nite. Rick Lee had just finish a set,an after a short break, was starting another . I introduced myself to Lil Joe again(He alway seems to forget you after not see you for 2 years....imagine that) an told Him that i was in Denver an do a TV show. I ask Him could i video Him for the show. He said "show for $20.00 dollars". Well, i had a few dollars,so i gave Him what i had. The man is homeless people. What would you do. I would have given Him $1000.00 for the priceless video of this Thirdward Houston Legend. Well, after the Great Chinese Blues man ,Rick Lee, did a couple numbers, he called Lil Joe up. Lilttle Joe was a little heavy hearted that nite. A freind of his was buried that day so He dedcatied his only song to Him. He was not His usual self , but performed for the people with some serious blues fire. He really let the hammer down on that one song an got hit in the head by the guitar at the end of the song.( you can catch this performance on the video section of this site). It was the very first video i had of Him ,an it shows just how Great a player He is depite the lost of a fellow band mate an friend.Even after the guitar hit Him in the head, He picked up His raggedy hat an begin to pass it aroud through the darkroom. You can hear Him say , as He passes the hat "I hope i did not draw blood....I DID I DID I DiD draw blood...I havent done no shit like that in 20 years"..He took the money, an He was gone ... I had my first proof for the world to see..

The next time i saw Little Joe was when Mopar Mike told me that Big Keith was having Him as a special guest on his internet radio show "Kingfish Keith Hour of Truth".. The show featured many of Houstons musical groups of all genres from rock ,to country,to blues an on an on...It was a Great Show ,an i am really sad that it is not on any more...but, i recently heard that Big Keith is coming back with a better than ever show soon..Anyway, Little Joe was going to be on that day. I had a funeral of my beloved Uncle Lewis that day,so after many tears,i made my way from Conroe back to Houston for the show. I got to talk to Little Joe again an He seemed to know me. Little Joe was fianlly starting to get some Houston music scene reckonition,an as usual, the hangeron were there. People, dont get me wrong, but when this Man was homeless, people gave Him NO RESPECT. They called Him a crackhead an everything. They would always see Him show up at their gigs, an would NOT let Him up to play. BUT as soon as the Houston Press reckonzed He Great talent, the hangeroners started say "Lil Joe is a freind of mine "...THATS THE REAL BLUES PEOPLE..Just like the song says "Nobody wants you, when you are down an out"..Sorry about the ranting, BUT THIS IS THE REAL BLUES

Anyway, this was the first interveiw with Big Keith,an the first interview with me. It was January 12,2001. For a backing band, Big Keith ask Guy Swartz an members of the New JAck Hippies to help out. It was a GREAT SHOW!!!!. Little JOe was full of Jack daniels, an let the hammer down. He fell out of the chair He was sitting on at the end of the show. Big Keith's interveiw was great..Face it, it is hard to get LIl Joe to open up, cause so many have taken advantage of Him an exploited He Raw Talent. I had a hard time getting Him to talk about His time with Albert Collins,or the Inkspots, or Sonny Stitt, or playing with Big Mama Thorton, or His time with my favorite ,Sam "Lightin" Hopkins..I mention to Him what the late Johnny Clyde Copeland said about Him ,an all He Said was "Do you know Him?"...He then pulled a roach out of His old coat an said laughing "Man , I been walkin around with this square in my pocket all this time, round the police an shit..Im gonna get my ass in some trouble"..He simply overlooked to complments by His fellow musicians an made time for craziness. I video the whole event,an Big Keith recorded it for a CD to be given to LIl Joe to sell to help Him get back on His feet. Somehow the original recording "disappeared", and it ended up in the hands of Guy who made a Cd out of it an is selling it on his website. I dont know if LIl Joe is getting anything out of it, but i hear that another recording of the show is coming out soon an Little Joe "WILL" get His...I also will soon release a DVD of my video past with this BLUES LEGEND...AN HE WILL MAKE SOMETHING OUT OF IT..THATS WHY ITS CALLED THE BLUES PEOPLE